How To Remove Ice From a Car Windshield

Let’s hope your situation isn’t as bad as the picture shown above (that’s some serious snow!), but you’ll probably find yourself struggling to remove ice from your car windshield at some point this winter. There’s nothing more frustrating that heading out the front door for work in the early morning hours only to discover a thick 2-inch screen of ice covering your windshield. Here, we’re going to reveal some simple ways to remove ice from a car windshield, allowing you to hit the road and go about your day-to-day activities during the winter.

I’m sure this is common sense to most people, but parking your car in the garage will protect it from ice. If a big winter storm is approaching, try moving your car into the garage for the night. Of course, this isn’t always an option, but if you have access to a garage, park your car inside to help prevent ice buildup on the windshield.

Warning: Do Not Use Hot Water

Using hot water to melt away the ice on your windshield is a bad idea that could end up costing you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the long run. Yes, hot water will likely melt right through the ice, but it will also stress the windshield. It’s not uncommon for small cracks to develop when hot water is pored on a cold windshield. And even if it doesn’t crack, it will weaken the glass so it’s more vulnerable to cracks and damage in the future.

Nine out of ten times, pouring hot water on your car windshield isn’t going to cause any immediate damage. However, when you continue to do it over and over, the glass will weaken and eventually crack.

Steps To Removing Ice From a Windshield

Crank your car and turn the defroster on.

Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Spray your icy windshield down with a solution of 50% water (room temperature) and 50% white vinegar. Note: there are also defrosting sprays designed for this step as well, but I’ve found that half water, half vinegar works just as well if not better.

Use a scraper tool to remove the ice.

Get in your car and hit the road!

Note: spray your windows down with the same solution of half vinegar and half water to help prevent future buildups of ice.

Sean D'Souza is writer and editor at InsurePlan.net. He is also an avid car enthusiast and has been scuba diving for the past 3 years. He also provides development and consulting services to online E-commerce start-up's.